Welcome to the close of our smoking Summer Series: TLC’s “CrazySexyCool.” Released in November of 1994 on La Face Records, this is TLC’s sophomore album. By nearly all metrics, it crushed their first release and is an album for the ages. “CrazySexyCool” debuted at number 15 on the Billboard charts, peaking at number 3. It spent 200 weeks on the charts and sold over 23 million records, making it the second best-selling album by a girls group (behind the Spice Girls’ album “Spice). It took two long years to write and record this album, due in large part to band member Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes’ struggles with alcoholism and abusive relationships. She ultimately had less input on the final product than might have otherwise been the case. Lopes did co-write one of the album’s standout singles and TLC’s best-known songs, “Waterfalls.” Despite a collaboration with Sean “Puffy” Combs, “Crazy” is less hip hop and more of a smooth and seductive soul record full of powerful hooks. Sit back and soak up the final sounds of summer.

Lineup

• VON GREY
• Yani Mo
• Adan Bean
• PRISCA
• Cleveland P. Jones